Winter and Spring
by Lyricoe
Summary: Faced with the choice of choosing the rose-colored life or the gray one, Houtarou's fleeting thoughts might just become reality - Square Friendship, HoutaEru One-shot.


I'm back with another Hyouka one shot. Please be kind to me.

(Aug 11, 2019) I left this story rotting in my phone for about 2-4 months and after I read a review on 'In Contrast' from a guest on August 9th, I just had to finish this. But I was in a hurry and I kind of forgot what I had originally planned for this, but I hope you still enjoy.

And get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions.

Further notes below.

And Guest from August 9th, if you're reading this, this one's for you.

…

**Winter and Spring**

…

It was just another quiet high school day for Oreki Houtarou.

The bright and joyful sun was enveloped by a cluster of thick clouds that engulfed the whole campus in a protective embrace. The coming spring breeze played with the leaves of trees just outside the old geography classroom. The light and soft chattering of students could also be heard.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Houtarou's lips as he closed his eyes and relished in the gentle gust of air coming from outside the window.

It is just another quiet high school day for Oreki Houtarou.

"Houtarou-san!"

There goes his quiet high school day.

The small lingering smile from Houtarou's face fell as he sighed in defeat. He sat up straight on his chair to feel the fading cold wind, but he didn't bother opening his still closed eyes. His ears picked up the sound of a chair scratching the surface of the floor as soft footsteps grew louder as it came closer.

"Houtarou-san!"

The soft and adorable voice sounded like music to his ears as he grunted in recognition, with eyes still closed.

Ever since they agreed upon using their first names to address each other a year ago, Houtarou has not regretted a single instance when he heard his name being uttered by her. If there was one thing he realized after they agreed upon first name basis, it's that he never knew that the sound of his name could sound so pure and lovely.

Especially since it came from her mouth.

"Hou-ta-rou-saaan..!"

He slumped his shoulders in defeat as he opened his bright green eyes only to meet a pair of vibrant purple eyes only inches from his own. He tensed in surprise as a warm breath tickled the tip of his nose. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as he grabbed her shoulders and gently pushed her to stand up properly.

"What is it?" His unsteady voice came out hoarse as he balanced himself and held his ground. The cold breeze felt warm as it hit his cheeks.

"You weren't even listening." She pouted cutely as she grabbed her chair and sat down with the proper grace and elegance you would expect from a princess.

She raised her small hand up to her mouth as she coughed onto it lightly. Her furrowed eyebrows curled up into a happy expression as she regarded him with inquisitive glee once more.

"Where do you plan on going after graduation? Are you planning to get a bachelor's degree? Or maybe just a vocational degree? Oh! Are you even planning to go to university? If so, where?!"

Her machine gun questions didn't sound right coming from her cute voice. To his ears, she sounded more like flirting rather than interrogating.

Though he did enjoy hearing her voice, he most definitely did not enjoy the barrage of questions that came out of it. Because first off, he did not know where to start answering and second, he didn't know what to answer cause he didn't even have an answer himself.

He did have an idea on what to pursue though.

"I'm going to university… I think…" His voice sounded so unsure that the joyful expression fell off her face, replaced by a look of worry and concern. He saw the sudden change in her expression and cleared his throat.

"I mean, I am going to university. And I'm not sure, but I do have a course in mind." He made himself sound so sure that the reluctant look on her face was immediately restored to its happy state. Happy but curious state.

"Really? What do you intend to take then?" Her look of genuine curiosity made his stomach go all mushy.

If first year high school Oreki Houtarou looked at his third year self now, he'd most definitely scowl in annoyance thinking that he is just wasting way too much energy and time spending his time thinking about and acting on abstract and pointless concepts such as infatuation.

Yes, he is infatuated with the gorgeous purple eyed beauty that is Chitanda Eru. And if he was braver than he actually is, he'd dare say that he's madly in love.

After three years of spending their time together pretty much every single day, a lot of things were bound to change.

The ever conservative and 'energy-saving' Houtarou of two years ago is now a bit more willing to do things he would 'probably enjoy' and help others in their mediocre problems. Of course that only applies to his three friends.

And the ever so curious dolt that is Chitanda Eru isn't as clueless anymore! After two years of pestering Houtarou and witnessing his genius on play, she was able to learn how to draw her own logical conclusions. And while this doesn't change her eager personality, it has been toned down a bit at least.

If firsr year Houtarou told his third year self to stop wasting so much vigor, he'd reply by saying that he should actually try to enjoy his life.

With all the changes that happened in the past two years, Houtarou found himself happy as much as how one individual living a gray-colored life can be. And for every choice he made for every turn his life took on, he didn't have that many regrets.

"Houtarou-san?" Chitanda's voice snapped him out of his reverie. He turned to look at her curious gaze as she cocked her head to one side with her mouth slightly open in wonder.

_She's damn cute_.

"I-" His words were cut off as the sudden opening of the clubroom door made way for the entrance of the brown haired demon –courtesy of Houtarou- named Ibara Mayaka into the room.

"Good afternoon Mayaka-san!" The ever so jubilant voice of Chitanda rose up an octave even higher, if that was even possible. "Good afternoon Chii-chan! How are you today? Any new news?" Mayaka began chatting with Eru after exchanging a curt nod to Houtarou who nodded back.

Their relationship might've been sour, but he can confidently say that they were friends.

Houtarou leaned back on his chair as he sighed and relaxed. He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes once more as the soft caress of the tender wind touched his face once again.

He muttered a silent thanks to Mayaka for entering the room at just the right time. He still wasn't sure what to tell Eru about what he wanted to do after high school.

Why? Because it has to be precise.

Precise? Because if he didn't do things right, now, then he would be back to square one and probably don't even go to university.

What's so hard about that? Because it involved Eru herself.

He sighed for the 100th time that afternoon. It was times like this that he wished he could revert back to his lethargic state even for just a day in order to have some rest from all the complicatedness his life took on after he realized his feelings for Eru.

He opened his eyes and made its way over to Eru.

Her once long onyx hair was now cut, reaching only past her shoulders at the area of the back parallel to her chest. Her snow white skin took on a very slight tan as a result of a club trip to the beach just a few months ago. And her amethyst eyes were just as hypnotizing as ever.

Eru looked up from her position and met Houtarou's stare. She smiled at him as Mayaka frowned at him, telling him that staring was rude.

"Hey everyone! Sorry I'm late!" The last of the four saviors of the classics club appeared on the doorway, wearing another one of his bizarre costumes.

"Fuku-chan! How'd it go?" Mayaka perked up when she heard Satoshi's voice and immediately voiced out her anxious thoughts.

"How did what go?" The clueless Eru put her pointer finger on her chin, trying to make out what Satoshi was wearing.

"Oh! There was this mini competition the handicrafts club held. We had to make something out of whatever resources we could find in the clubroom, so I made this mini monster guy suit. It wasn't that hard to make and I won third place so I guess that's fine!" Satoshi beamed as he walked over to the unoccupied seat beside Houtarou.

Mayaka let out a breath she held while Eru's eyes shimmered in amazement.

He grabbed his mask and put it on the table as he eyed the other five empty chairs.

"Where are the others?" Satoshi asked, addressing the missing club members.

When they entered their second year of high school. They didn't expect to be joined by other students since they were one of the less known clubs. So imagine their surprise when they saw two other names they didn't recognize registered to their club.

One was an aspiring author who wished to contribute to the culture and history of Kamiyama high school through writing classic pieces.

And the other one was her best friend who's only wish in life is for his best friend to fulfill her life mission and achieve her dreams.

Then on their senior year, they were once again welcome to a surprise when they saw three more names added to their roster.

Eru practically bounced in glee when she found this out and brought homemade food to the club the next day in celebration of keeping the club alive.

_"We have nine members! I'm so happy!"_

Houtarou remembered her squeal of delight as she pounced on him and hugged him tight in joy which she soon realized because she immediately bowed her head down apologetically but not before showing Houtarou how red her face can be.

Initially, he wasn't so happy about having five more members other than them, but whenever he sees Eru's wide smile whenever the others arrives, he learned to accept the truth that life was just like that.

Amazing how one person can change so much because of another.

"Yume-chan is sick and Sasaeru-san took care of her." Eru replied, her face curling into a concerned frown.

"As for the juniors, they had some other businesses to attend to." Houtarou added as he turned his chair away in order to face the window again.

"I see… So it's just us four again, huh? Just like how it had always been." Satoshi's beaming smile was replaced with a bittersweet one as he thought of the upcoming graduation day.

"You make it sound like a bad thing, Fuku-chan." Mayaka bit her lip as she realized what Satoshi was actually implying.

"No, not like that! Haha!" Satoshi laughed but dropped his gaze soon after. "It's just sad to think that we're parting ways in a few weeks. After all we've been through this past three years. I don't think I'm ever gonna find other people like you guys."

"Don't you ever think about replacing us!" Mayaka glared pointedly at Satoshi while her eyes were brimming with tears threatening to fall down.

"I never will. You've all got a special place in my heart. Especially you." He sent a quick wink to her as her face became red.

Houtarou cringed at Satoshi's flirting while Eru giggled in delight.

"Now, now guys. No one's forgetting anyone. We'll all stay in contact right?" Eru held on to hope as her eyes were also filled with tears. She didn't want to cry in front of them so she sniffed and politely rubbed her eyes.

"I wouldn't want to lose contact with anyone of you. I wouldn't want to lose any of you. I wouldn't want to forget any of you. And I wouldn't want anyone to forget me too." Her purple eyes that usually glinted in joy and curiosity were now covered in tears. Salty tears ran down her pretty face, leaving a clear stain of hopelessness on her pale cheeks.

"Now, now, Eru-san. Wasn't it you who said no one's forgetting anyone? Now cheer up or Houtarou will cry too." Satoshi feigned toughness, beaming a bright smile while closing his eyes to blink the tears away.

Mayaka joined Eru in crying a river as she scooted closer to her. She hugged her, trying to comfort her and reassure her even though she wasn't so sure herself.

"Don't… worry Chii-chan… Not even distance will stop us from… being friends. You…. got that?" She told her in between sniffs as she held her tight in her arms.

She opened her now red eyes and motioned for Satoshi to join her. Satoshi smiled at her with his eyes red, though no traces of tears could be seen.

Satoshi joined the two in a warm hug as the sniffling died down a bit. He then opened his arms and motioned for Eru to call Houtarou.

"Hou-Houtarou-san… Will you join us..?"

After a few seconds of silence, he responded.

He turned around and opened his eyes. He stared deeply into the surprised purple pools on Eru's face before turning his gaze to the other two shocked faces.

"You made me cry. What a waste of energy." At this, Satoshi held back his tears no more and let the tears flow freely from his orangey brown eyes which gave birth to another round of fresh tears in the girls' eyes.

They ran over to Houtarou as he limply hugged them back. All out of energy.

"The clouds will never cover the sunshine this friendship you guys gave me. And while being sentimental costs a lot of energy, if it's for the three of you guys, I wouldn't mind."

Houtarou said this as the thick clouds from earlier parted, giving way for sunlight to enter the classroom once more.

"You guys splashed color into my life. And as annoying as that was, I wouldn't want it any other way."

Mayaka and Eru sobbed weakly as Satoshi whimpered softly. Houtarou took a deep calming breath as he tried to steady himself.

"What I'm trying to say is, you guys are the best things to ever happen in my life." Houtarou smiled at them as they looked up to him once more.

"You changed me."

And as he met Eru's gaze, he mouthed 'especially you' to her which spawned more tears in her eyes.

Houtarou internally freaked out. He didn't know why he did it but he did. He averted his gaze away from Eru as his tear streaked face turned red.

He met Satoshi's touching stare as he mouthed 'good job' and 'I'm proud of you' all while patting his back.

He turned to Mayaka who gave him a look saying 'you now have my highest level of respect' to which he smiled at. After years of being acquainted, they've finally come to a respectful standpoint.

After a few more minutes of comforting words and promises being made, they finally disentangled from each other.

They turned to look at the now setting sun in the distance as the cold and fading winter wind blew on their faces.

After all, they wouldn't have it any other way.

...

"Houtarou-san?"

The small voice of Eru made him turn around in surprise. After their emotional breakdown a mere hour ago, he honestly didn't think Eru still had the energy to keep her life going.

But here she was, skipping merrily as she switched her gaze from the beautiful scenery to Houtarou's emerald orbs.

Three years of being almost always together and she still keeps on surprising him. Though he should've probably known her better, he just didn't expect her to still keep her shit together after all that.

Especially since his energy reserves took a heavy hit from all that drama.

"...what?" Houtarou reluctantly replied, watching every single movement his companion made.

"I was just wondering..." She stopped skipping and rose her head up as she looked at the sky in wonder.

"Of course you are." Houtarou stared at her in amusement. The cute pout she gave him as she frowned was all worth it for Houtarou.

"Geez, stop being mean Houtarou-san..!" She 'hmphed' in defiance when she heard the tiny chuckle that escaped his lips.

"Mmh. So what were you wondering about?" Houtarou asked of course. He would've let it go especially if he could've gotten away from her curious escapades right then and there, but nowadays, he found himself enjoying Eru's contented smile whenever he solves a mystery.

Now that he asked, she hesitated, thinking that she might offend him if she did.

Houtarou stopped walking as she heard her mutter under her breath. He stopped walking because he couldn't believe that Chitanda Eru, said something without practically yelling it out.

"What was that?"

Eru sucked in a breath and panicked as she realized she just voiced her thoughts out loud. She bumped onto Houtarou's back and soon also realized that he had heard her.

"I... I... I was just wondering if what you said was t-true.." Eru swallowed audibly which caused her to blush in embarrassment.

The cold wind of winter hit their faces as they stared at the starry night. The busy hustle bustle of people trying to get home was soundly in their ears. The crescent moon stared back at them purposefully making the situation more awkward.

"Eru."

Eru looked down and looked at his disappearing back as he started to walk away.

"We're here. It's getting late, have a safe trip home."

She looked around and just like he said, they were at the intersection where they part ways.

Eru looked on in horror as she thought she did offend him. She bit her lip in order to control her raging emotions. She knew that this would happen. Her gut had already warned her, yet she didn't listen.

She stared at the spot where Houtarou turned to a corner where he disappeared from her sight completely. She wanted no regrets, yet here she is, longing for him to come back and tell her it's alright.

She sniffed again and took a deep calming breath, she glared adorably at the stars as she started to compose herself like the well mannered princess she really was, and started to head back home. It was pretty late.

But if Houtarou thought it was over, he just made Eru curious even more.

...

Houtarou couldn't sleep.

He turned on his left side and shut his eyes forcefully all to no avail. He lied down straight on his back and opened his eyes. His eyes met the ceiling of the dark room which confined him for the last five sleepless hours.

He sat up, his bare feet dangling over his messy bed. He turned on his bedside lamp as he decided to just go through the night without sleep, no matter how tired he was.

He groaned in frustration while he tugged on his hair as hard as he can with all the energy he had left.

The dejected look on Eru's face as he left her alone on the cold intersection came back to haunt him every time he was nearing dreamland.

It was unjust of him to leave her hanging like that and he knew that.

It was his fault that he kept her hanging there and he knew that.

It was nothing but stupid of him that he left her there all of a sudden and he knew that.

But he wasn't ready.

He was still not ready to face her and her barrage of questions.

He was still not ready to confront and question his own feelings and how he should react to it.

He was still not ready to tell Eru about his feelings.

All because he was scared.

Scared of love. Scared of both rejection and acceptance.

Scared of change.

And he was aware of all that.

He slapped his cheeks and willed his legs to move. He got up and blinked the dizziness away as he turned the lights on.

He walked out the door and headed straight to the bathroom, intent on feeling the embrace of the warm, comfortable water shower.

He turned the lights on and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

His light brown complexion turned pale from the lack of blood and rest. His looming peridot orbs were accentuated with dark bags under. His lips turned dry and his messy bedhead was all over the place.

All in all, he looked like a mess.

He sighed in exhaustion and headed to the shower where he took a long, calming bath.

It was going to be a long day.

...

The cold February morning stung Houtarou bitterly as he rode his bike along the quiet district of the town.

It was an early Saturday morning, just a little over 2 AM. Most of the stalls and stores you could find in the metro were all closed except for a few 24/7 convenience stores.

Not like he planned on shopping anyway.

And to be honest, he didn't have a plan at all.

If Houtarou knew anything, it's that he needs some time to think, and a bit of cold fresh air.

Houtarou never liked going out. Especially on the weekends. And definitely not at 2 AM in the bloody morning. It was of course an opportunity to rejuvenate his stock of energy which seemed to run out especially fast nowadays. Much to his chagrin, of course.

But, looking at how the day is going. He'll have to go eighteen more hours without energy. Not that he was new to such experience.

He reached the road along the riverbank. His rough hair swaying with the calm breeze as he shuddered against his thin coat.

Houtarou stared at the reflection of the dark, starry night sky on the surface of the stagnant river. He remembered the short time he spent there with Eru.

This was where he learned that unlike him who tries to solve a mystery and how it is done, she tries to put reason as to how anyone would want or intend for such mystery to happen.

He thinks of a logical conclusion. She thinks of other people's feelings.

How opposite are they? Polar opposites.

He really didn't know how he even took a liking to her. He was anything but thankful for Eru's presence in their first year of spending time together. He constantly tried to avoid her and her bouts of curiosity.

That's probably why.

He took a liking to her because she was the only girl he wasn't able to say no to. She was the only girl who was ever able to get his ass up and moving. She was the only girl to ever make him do things he would never ever do. And she was the only girl to force him to abandon his life motto.

Hell, she was probably the only person to ever do it. Well, with the exception of his mighty sister of course.

Houtarou sighed and shook his head, causing him to stumble and fall down his bike rather clumsily.

He hissed in pain as he scraped his knees when he slid over the rough, asphalt road. It stung, but nothing that a simple disinfectant can't fix.

He hoped to get away from thoughts of Eru on his silent morning ride and just contemplate on his own messed up feelings.

He wasn't used to this kind of emotions burning through his head and now he's stuck between a rock and a hard place.

He got up and spotted an open café, which was weird because it was either way too late, or way too early. Not that he was complaining, so he limped his way towards the serene looking, brown shop.

He welcomed the warm air that came from the small fireplace at the left side of the room and breathed in the bittersweet aroma of freshly brewed coffee along with the calming atmosphere that the small café provided.

A rare, genuine smile appeared on Houtarou's face, sighing deeply in appreciation as he looked around his brown paradise.

Soft, brown couches filled the spaces beside the glass top tables while pairs of cushioned wooden chairs lined up along the glass windows of the store with tall, wooden tables sitting in between them.

The bright yellow lamps lit up the night stained café, allowing whoever was inside to move around without stumbling on random things.

All in all, it was your typical lovely café.

And Houtarou wouldn't want it any other way.

The counter was empty, and judging by how the smell of coffee wafted through his nose, he judged that it was still fresh and therefore concluded that the worker just left the area.

And so, Houtarou walked along the beige colored floor in hopes of finding a good spot to enjoy a warm, bitter coffee. Come to think of it, he sure could use some stimulant.

And what better source for it to come from than good old coffee?

Houtarou didn't expect anyone to be inside the small shop aside from him and a worker, at this ungodly hour of 3 AM in the morning.

So imagine his surprise when he saw someone quietly sipping on their coffee at the far corner against the glass window. And it was someone he knew.

He watched the person put their cup of coffee down and looked at him in mild surprise. Their soft pink eyes glinted in recognition before dropping into a low glare. After a few seconds, the person suddenly sighed deeply and acknowledged him.

Houtarou watched her face contort into a mix of different emotions as she motioned for him to sit down and he couldn't help but feel amused. Perplexed, but amused nonetheless.

"Ore-Houtarou."

"Mayaka."

Mayaka's eyes twitched in annoyance with her lips doing the same as Houtarou smirked inwardly. After that drama jabba jabba earlier, he knew that Mayaka has finally given him the respect he actually deserves.

Not that he needed it nor he wanted it. But he definitely appreciated it. Especially because Mayaka's pride never goes down.

"So what brings you here at this time of day? Seriously you? 3 AM? Weekends? Peculiar indeed."

"Am I not following the law?"

"N-no. No you're not."

"Then I don't see the problem here."

Mayaka scowled in annoyance as the waiter finally came to take Houtarou's order. There were plenty of options for such a small place which surprised Houtarou. In the end, he settled for a simple classic black coffee. No cream, no sugar, no anything.

"Seriously? Classic black coffee? Not that I don't like it- nor do I like it- but that's way too bitter for me."

"It may be not so cheap, but it should be worth it. It would give me all the energy I'd need for today and lastly, it represents my soul."

Mayaka stared at him in disgust and absolute pity.

"Represent your soul? You're awfully corny today aren't you?"

"Guess so."

Mayaka's eyes widened in surprise. She knew Houtarou was never a morning person, but he was incredibly grumpy from what she can see. She sighed in defeat as she decided to let her pride down just this once.

"Okay, so what's your problem? I mean, you don't get up this early, ever. Couldn't sleep?"

Houtarou groaned in annoyance, reminded once again of his restless thoughts. Images of Eru's sad gaze flashed through his mind which caused him to shake his head in frustration.

Mayaka stared at him incredulously, patiently waiting for his reply.

He looked back up and saw Mayaka's eyebrows raised and he realized just how ridiculous he might've looked from her point of view. Nonetheless, he coughed lightly and feigned ignorance.

"Nothing."

Her eyebrows rose even higher. Her lips curling up to an amused-annoyed smirk as she felt her patience growing thin.

"That... didn't look like 'nothing' to me."

Houtarou glared at her for a moment.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, I do."

"You don't decide for me."

"Believe me, I will."

"You won't."

"It's Chii-chan? Right?"

Houtarou paused and looked at her focused glare. Her eyes shimmering with perseverance as her face contorted into an infuriated frown. She looked like how Eru would when he wouldn't answer any of her questions.

His face took on its flustered state as he averted his eyes in order to avoid her penetrating gaze.

"Why do you care?" Houtarou mumbled, honestly not knowing what it would mean to her.

Silence met his ears for a moment before he heard a 'grr' sound emanate under her clenched teeth and he knew that he just made a mistake as he felt her tiny palm meet his cheek.

The slap wasn't strong, Mayaka obviously holding back. It didn't really hurt Houtarou physically, but the intent behind the action made him feel ashamed of himself.

He turned to look at her tearful gaze as he panicked mentally.

"He-hey so-sorry. Will you stop that now?" Houtarou fumbled with his words, he obviously wasn't an expert in apologies. He never found the reason to say sorry until now.

"Sorry? Why do I care? Obviously I care! As much as I hate to admit it, you're my friend, Houtarou! And so is Chii-chan! And you ask me why I care?! How much of a jerk are you?"

Houtarou was dumbfounded, no one ever cried in front of him, aside from Eru of course, and he has never been called a jerk in his life. So it's only natural for him to sit there dumbly, not knowing what to do.

Her sniffing died down after a few moments, replaced by the soft hiccups she now suffered from. She took a silent sip of her now cold coffee as she tried to speak clearly.

"D-did you really think Chii-chan was that dumb? She called me when she got home and she was crying, Houtarou, crying! She told me she hurt your feelings and drove you away!"

Houtarou just looked outside the coffee shop, purposefully avoiding her furrowed eyebrows, again.

"Tell me Houtarou. What happened yesterday? What happened that you couldn't answer her like you usually do?"

Houtarou said nothing as he continued to watch the scenery outside. The leaves of the trees continued to rustle against the harsh wind as a drop of water splashed against the glass wall of the shop. It was raining.

"If you're not going to talk to me, then I'm go-"

"I was scared."

Mayaka glared at him again before her eyes softened in acceptance. She leaned her back onto the seat as Houtarou did the same across from her.

"You were scared?"

Houtarou only nodded silently, still ashamed of his previous words.

"Scared of what.. exactly?" Mayaka questioned him, having no idea what he might've been scared of.

"I was scared of... what lied ahead. I wasn't ready to answer her and to be honest, I still am. I'm still unprepared."

He looked down, disappointed in himself. He held his cup of coffee by the body to feel the comforting warmth it provided to his shuddering hands.

He took a quick sip and stared at the dark, swirling pool inside his cup. He wasn't lying when he said it was the color of his soul. And right now, it was truer than ever.

"That's natural, especially because you're in love."

Mayaka's soft voice was almost blocked out by the raging storm at the other side of the glass, but he heard it nonetheless.

At first, he didn't know how to react since he only ever told Satoshi, who forced it out of him quite persuasively. But now, he really couldn't care less anymore.

"Like you're one to talk." He gave her a small smirk which made her give him an annoyed glare accompanied by a red face.

"God, Houtarou. I miss those days when you were just so accepting and would let me insult you all day long. Chii-chan rubbed her incredible stubbornness on you, didn't she?"

He only shrugged in reply as he took another sip of his coffee. Perhaps she really did.

"So, how'd you know?"

"Fuku-chan told me. But I would have got it sooner on my own. You weren't exactly good at not being obvious."

"Mmh. You're not wrong."

"Why not just confess? We both know Chii-chan and she'd be more speechless than you."

"I already told you, I'm not ready."

"Houtarou." She took a deep breath and patted the back of his hands.

"Fear is natural. It doesn't matter if you're ready for the consequences of your decisions. What matters is that you will go through your life knowing that you regret nothing. All it is, is a leap of faith, Houtarou. A leap of faith."

He stared at her pink eyes for a moment before sighing again.

"I'm just afraid of… change. What if she rejects me? That'd make things awkward. And if she does like me too. What then? I'm even more afraid of commitment because I have no idea on what to do."

She chuckled lightly while Houtarou glared at her.

"You have no idea."

"I have no-"

"Nevermind. And by the way, do you think if Chii-chan rejects you, she'd stop talking to you? She'll just pester you like usual. Nothing will change! We're talking about Chii-chan here!"

"…I guess you're right."

"Of course I am!"

"And commitment? Seriously? Nobody is ever ready for that! All I can tell you is that when things come to that, you'll figure it out spontaneously. The best thing about that is you'll know what to do with your relationship alongside her. She doesn't really have any experience with this either."

Houtarou just stayed silent, the quiet pitter patter of rain covered the silence between them. She took her hands away from his and flicked his forehead, much to his surprise.

"You have nothing to worry about. It's Chii-chan, after all."

He gave her a small smile and drank the remaining coffee on his cup, and flicked her forehead.

"Thanks, dwarf."

Instead of being annoyed, she just laughed lightly and gave him her own smile.

"No problem, slug."

They sat still in peace as they let the rain settle, giving way to the smallest ray of sunshine to peek its way to the small town of Kamiyama. The worker killed the small fire and turned on the air conditioner, in preparation to the heat the sun would provide.

"Does this mean, you're going to tell her?"

"…yes."

She squealed in delight as she fanned herself. Houtarou glared at her in annoyance which caused her to give him a wide grin of her own.

"On one condition."

She stopped dancing around but kept her foolish grin plastered on her small face.

"You do the same."

"You're on!"

His eyes widened in surprise, fully expecting her to blush in embarrassment and sputter denials. Houtarou closed his eyes in satisfaction as he sipped his last bit of coffee. Cold and bitter, just like winter.

"About time then."

"Of course, it's always a new day."

...

It was just another quiet high school day for Oreki Houtarou.

The sun shone as bright as it could in winter's border, covered by thin clouds that gave the campus small, random spaces for shade. Final rounds of winter winds sent tingling sensations running along the club members' spine.

A small frown etched its way onto Houtarou's face. His eyebrows meeting, his eyelids covering his green eyes as another harsh wind smacked his face. He sighed and positioned himself properly from his slouched posture.

It had been a week after his confrontation with Mayaka and he still hasn't made his move, forcing the girl to make compromising events which led to no success, inevitably. Said events will mostly turn Houtarou back to awkward silence and Eru into a stuttering, blushing mess. So after a few days of humiliating her friends, she decided to stop and just let Houtarou do what he wanted to do. If he even had a plan.

And truthfully speaking, no, Houtarou did not have a plan.

The upcoming graduation day had given him the nerves which resulted to him not being able to think properly which would mostly end up to another day wasted. Much to Mayaka's gradually increasing infuriation.

In short, he was running out of time and he does not have any idea on what he could possibly do.

"Houtarou."

The male voice startled him and shook him away from his dilemma. He opened one eye and glanced at his brown haired buddy with an unreadable expression on his face.

"What?"

"Mayaka has been pestering me the whole week. Apparently you're a 'no good scumbag' and that you'll 'never succeed if he just sits there all day' and I'm starting to be annoyed."

Houtarou slumped his shoulders and stood up, straightening his wrinkled clothes.

"You didn't really have to remind me."

"Care to tell what's going on?"

"Not that you need me explaining."

Satoshi chuckled lightheartedly and smacked his back with his backhand as hard as he could. Houtarou just groaned and glared at him in return.

"Well then you better move your lazy ass. Graduation day's just around the corner, you know?"

"You really didn't have to remind me."

Houtarou spoke in an annoyed manner as he gathered his things and slumped his schoolbag on his shoulder. Heading to the door, he saw the hopeful look on Mayaka's face and held back another sigh.

"Go get 'em tiger."

"I'm supposed to be a lion."

...

Lucky is what Houtarou would describe himself.

_"Houtarou-san, we need someone to stand as my umbrella holder again, would you please accompany me?" _Are exactly the words that came out of Eru's tiny mouth.

He didn't believe in fate and never will but right then and there, he thanked whoever or whatever supreme being there is for that opportunity.

Of course he said yes. After around 3 minutes of staring into her eyes.

It was 5 in the morning. He was able to rest his mind and body for only about 2 hours and he spurred awake. His mind constantly being plagued with paranoia and anxiety as he only has all morning to prepare his winning confession.

He thought of changing his mind and just stay at home but no, he promised himself that today is the day and this day would be the day that he would be able to grasp that rose-colored life he'd been yearning for the past 2 years. Hopefully.

And before he knew it, the morning had already passed and as luck would have it, he had a flat tire.

So there he was riding to the Mizunashi Shrine, on a heavy, tandem bicycle since it was the only one available for rent.

And he called himself lucky huh?

He arrived at the busy shrine and parked the bike somewhere. The shrine attendant recognized him after a few seconds of staring and immediately lets him enter.

The place has not changed at all. Shrine attendants were all up and going, but not before giving him a quick smile after he entered.

"If it isn't substitute guy! What brings you here?" The loud, senior attendant from 2 years ago approached Houtarou, grinning widely at him after shouting orders for the other ones to work on.

"I was once again called here by Er- Chitanda to hold her umbrella." Houtarou bowed and did his best to act formally around the slightly foreign environment.

The attendant laughed out loud and smacked him with his big hands, causing him to stumble back. "No need to act so pretty, kid. Lighten up! I have this feeling that I'll be seeing you more frequently starting today."

"What's that supposed to mean..?" Houtarou asked, visibly confused.

"Forget it. Now, just wait for your turn and you'll be fine." The attendant gave him a last, parting pat on the back as he resumed his work of barking orders.

_Thanks old man, way to get my nerves up._

_..._

The warm breeze soothed Houtarou as he walked his way to meet up with Satoshi and Mayaka, who were once again, making fun of him in his costume. The afternoon sun scooting away from the clouds as it continued to pour down its radiant blessing on the fertile lands of Kamiyama.

He caught sight of his friends from afar who were waving at him, the wind blowing their clothing in every direction possible. Their jubilant excitement could be felt and Houtarou did not know how to feel about it.

"Houtarou! Nice job at keeping a human face while in those ridiculous clothes. You're starting to look good in them!

"Yeah! You looked like a child being forced into adult clothing and I was waiting for you to snap! How could you possibly do that?! I'd have stripped myself off if I were you!"

"Luckily for you, you're not me."

Houtarou sighed and straightened his back, thinking deeply as his unfocused eyes stared at the orange sky. The other two stopped laughing their assess off and cleared their throats, loud enough for Houtarou to turn his gaze back to them.

"So, you got any tricks up your sleeve?" Satoshi asked in a playful tone, but he knew that he meant business. "Because if you ask me, this is the best shot you've got with her."

"I've got a few, yeah."

"Good, 'cause you still hasn't fulfilled your part of the deal yet." His pink eyed buddy replied, annoyance audible from her voice.

"But are you ready?"

Houtarou bit his lip and stared at the ground, kicking a lone pebble on the ground.

"I've never seen him this nervous." Satoshi whispered into Mayaka's ears and she lightened up her expression.

"Come on, Houtarou. You got this. We're here for you. That's what friends are for, right?"

"Don't go sentimental on me now demon. I don't need any of that."

"Screw you!"

Satoshi just laughed as she punched Houtarou more times than he could count. They stood there for a few more minutes, chatting lightly before Satoshi had to break them up himself.

"I'm pretty sure the prayer ceremony is over and we've got to get going too." Satoshi looked up at the sky and ruffled his brown hair, prompting Mayaka to sigh in nervousness.

"You sure you'd be fine on your own?"

"I've been fine my whole life, and I pretty much live alone. I'm positive that I'll do fine."

"You sure are talkative nowadays and I hate it." She scowled at him and threatened to punch him again but Satoshi held her hand and began to drag her away.

"I'm sure this day will end on a good note, good luck Houtarou!"

Houtarou just nodded and waved them goodbye before turning on his heels, headed to the estate.

_No turning back now._

...

The feast was nothing short of lively, and noisy, of course. Houtarou sat outside on the porch once again, calming his worked up nerves against the soft, green grass and the warmth of the sun.

He never thought that his life would ever come to this moment. One moment he wakes up on a routine lifestyle then he's planning for a confession the moment after. He was supposed to keep a club alive and going, but instead, the club made him alive and going.

Like spring.

A season of life, warmth, and activity. The nice sun shining on those lucky enough to be on the receiving end while the warm breeze keeps people active as the flowers bloom within the patches of the pretty greenery, all soothing to the eye.

All these after a season of being stuck in the rut, confined in the forced, warm spaces of heat as the chilling cold comes haunting the silent days and nights. Like a gray-colored life.

A life that he thought he'd live in.

A life that was now behind his back.

A soft thud of the wooden door took Houtarou back to his senses. The smell of lavender and tea wafting through the air soothed his tense muscles and helped him slump back in tranquility.

"Houtarou-san. Sorry for all this, I didn't mean to-"

He put his index finger over her lips and shushed her, urging her to calm down and take a seat beside him, under the orange sky.

"How are you?"

"Oh! I feel absolutely fantastic! I was worried that something might happen again this time and I couldn't keep myself on my toes but then the whole procession went smoothly and then that made me happy but then I have to serve a lot again just earlier during the start of the feast and-"

Once again, he hovered his finger on her lips as she pouted cutely, her purple eyes drooping in exhaustion.

"You were worried, relieved, hyped, and now tired, to sum it up."

She slumped her shoulders as she nodded in defeat. She was about to drop her head onto her hands but then Houtarou sat behind her, back to back, and tugged on her hair so she would put her head on his shoulder.

This action reinvigorated Eru a bit and made her warmer than she already was.

"You're tired so just take a nap."

"But I have to walk y-"

"No buts, I can go home later."

Eru's slim shoulders relaxed against Houtarou's broad ones as she took one more fleeting glance at the cherry blossoms in the distance. She smiled contentedly and snuggled on his back.

"Just drink the tea I brought. And thank you."

She felt him hum in acknowledgement and fell into a shallow nap, totally oblivious to how the boy was dealing with the situation.

It's not winter anymore, after all.

...

It was spring, and they both knew it.

The setting sun, painting the sky a deep orange as the cherry blossoms start to come to life before their very eyes. The strong gusts of wind blowing against their frames as they walked along the rocky pathway with the tandem bike in tow.

The scent of the fields being further amplified by the life of spring, gave both of them a sense of hope, hope for something new, hope for something memorable, and hope for something beautiful.

"So how was humanities?" Houtarou stared at her inquisitive gaze as he pondered on what to say, without giving away his nervousness.

"Pretty hectic, but I'll come through. I'm doing fine so far, and this might be for the right purpose."

"Rig-"

"How about the sciences? You holding up fine?"

A bunch of emotions flashed across her face and Houtarou had to hold back a chuckle. It was just like her to not know where to begin with.

"Sciences is fun! There were a bunch of systems that I couldn't understand so I had to study them really hard in order for me to truly comprehend how crucial they were to my mission on bringing the crops even further beyond."

"So I take it you're doing successful, as usual?"

"Yes! At least I think I am on the right track to success. I want to be able to touch the maximum potential that a farming family could possibly have, since you know… I'd pretty much be stuck here the rest of my life."

The soft silence went on for a minute where only their footsteps and the tandem could be heard against the soft soil beneath their feet.

"You know, I've always been envious of you."

Houtarou turned to look at her in silent shock. But he kept quiet and listened intently while Eru averted her gaze from him and instead looked at the burning horizon in front of her.

"You're smart, like very smart. And if pushed in the right direction, you finish everything you have to. You're the most practical person I know. You don't let small, unhelpful things distract you. Instead, you accomplish a job as soon as possible and then you're ready for the next."

She swallowed a lump that formed in her throat.

"I can't do that. Every time something pops up from somewhere, I try my best to know what it is about, and what can I help with it. It may satisfy me, but at the end of the day, I've been fed useless information and I'd be tired as always. It's not what I wanted for my life."

"But you have to understand. My life has been predetermined even before I was born. As the sole heiress of my family business, whatever I do, wherever I go, I will always come back to this place. And I try my hardest to experience everything I want to since this is all the time I've got. Once I'm done with my studies, I'd be here, again, since I have no other option."

By this moment, they had both stopped walking as Houtarou stood beside Eru while she sobs.

"I want you to know that I don't hate this place. These, these are all mine. This is my home. And this will be where I will always belong. I love this place so much. I guess what I'm wishing for is freedom. The freedom to choose whatever life I want to lead, instead of knowing where exactly I would be through it all."

She beamed a smile despite the hot tears streaming down her face.

"I wanted some type of mystery. I wanted my life to be thrilling. I wanted my life to be unexpected. I wanted to experience what I had no idea about. I wanted everything I couldn't have, and I wanted to get what I wanted."

Houtarou sat her down on the backside of the tandem and gently wiped her tears away. He even dared to hug her and stroked her onyx hair lovingly. He looked at the raging sky, asking if this was what they wanted.

"Houtarou-san.. I… I wanted to be you.."

His eyes softened as he tightened his hold on her, his eyes never leaving the setting sun.

"But since I couldn't, I thought that being with you would allow me to know and understand what life had stolen from me. And you did not disappoint. These past 3 years with you and the others were undoubtedly the best years of my life. And I don't know what will happen to me now that we're graduating. I knew that this day would come eventually. The day where I have to go back here, and all of you can have all the fun you want in life."

"I guess what I want to say is… I don't want to stay away from you… I have no idea how life would be after all those fun times would be gone. It's just going to be me, and the business I have to take care of."

Her soft sobs gradually died down eventually until it turned to small hiccups.

Houtarou's eyes left the burning sky and instead looked at the cherry blossom that fell on Eru's head. Houtarou smiled in acceptance of his fate, and of the road he would follow.

"Sor-" Eru began but he cut her off with his index finger again.

"I don't see any reason for you to envy me. I've led a life with no fun, I never pursued anything I wanted, in fact, I don't think I want anything. That's nothing to be envious about. The way I see it, I, myself, am stuck."

Eru's eyes widened in astonishment as her face slowly contorted into one of confusion. She lifted her head and saw Houtarou holding the lone leaf above her face.

"What do you mean?"

_Alright Houtarou, you've got this._

"After years and years of leading a bland life, I found myself wishing for a colorful one. Just like you. But there are more to life than just entertainment. What makes life worth living are not the things that keep us busy, it's the things that keeps us content and happy."

"And I thought that I was content with a gray-colored life. I thought that I'd be fine living in a routine. But I thought wrong. Because you came into my life."

Eru's purple eyes widened even more as another round of tears threatened to fall down her smooth face.

"You changed that perspective. You changed my point of view. You became my kaleidoscope. You helped me see the colors that would've made life happier. At first I was annoyed, I hated change. But then I realized that change is constant and I have no other choice but to accept that. To accept you."

This time, Houtarou left her side and sat on the front seat of the tandem, urging her to pedal.

"And so, I have all the opportunities in the world to chase a rose-colored life, unlike you."

Eru was hurt at the harsh truth that he spoke and was about to step off the tandem and run off when Houtarou pressed the brakes and held her hand, green dots staring at her purple ones.

"But I would rather choose the blandest life imaginable if it means I could be with you."

She stared at him in shock and bewilderment, not understanding what was going on around her.

"W-what do you m-mean?"

_Now or never._

"I mean, I love you, Chitanda Eru."

Her heart stopped right then and there as the harsh wind continued to blow against their frail bodies. The setting sun gave birth to a wide array of colors all associated with the word passion. The cherry blossom trees dancing in the background as the stars slowly start to show up in Kamiyama's beautiful sky.

"And I would rather spend my whole life in the gray with you instead of chasing the roses all alone."

The tears that formed on her eyes started to fall and they didn't bother even bother to wipe it. Houtarou smiled at her and pressed his forehead onto hers as she sniffed in a way improper to a noble lady.

"But I won't do that."

Her heart stopped again, thinking that all It was, was a lie.

"I won't let you rot in winter. I'll take you out of it and make our own spring. We'll have the roses all on our own. That's what you want, right?"

Eru absentmindedly nodded, not caring what he was saying anymore. Her dead brain still stuck on what he said.

_"I love you, Chitanda Eru."_

_"I won't let you rot in winter. I'll take you out of it and make our own spring."_

Eru didn't know what pushed her, but she did. She kissed Oreki Houtarou square on the lips. .

At that moment, time seemed to stop. It was like a scene out of a cheesy romance movie. It was a sweet kiss, no tongue involved and yet they still felt the passion, the need for each other.

Under the fiery sky stood a fiery couple in the middle of a fiery kiss.

"So does that mean you love me too?" Houtarou asked smugly prodding her to speak.

"Y-yes…" Eru said shyly but she refused to keep her gaze away from his own. "But you do understand what you're talking about, right?"

Houtarou only smiled at her.

"I basically asked for your hand in marriage. I don't see the problem there."

"But my parents don't even know who you are!"

"Then I'll meet them."

She stared at him slack jawed. Never in their 3 years together, had he been as daring and persistent as he was right then.

"Y-you're serious…"

"Again, I basically proposed, what makes you think I'm not serious? My whole life I've constantly ignored the colorful life I could have. And when you came, I started liking the colors better. These 2 years gave me enough time to say that 'Yes, I'm ready to abandon who I was, and am ready to accept what I want to be.'."

Eru, speechless, just pounced on him, letting the tandem fall along the dirt road.

The shining sun had been replaced by the shade of the moon, along with billions of twinkling stars. The night was young and there was still a lot of time left.

Eru noticed him looking at the sky and it gave her a bright idea.

"You could spend the night at home now, I'd introduce you to my parents and hopefully work this out."

He looked at her in mild curiosity but gave her a small smile as he picked up the tandem from where it had fallen.

"Let's go, it's getting pretty cold." Eru told him in a hushed manner albeit giving him her warmest smile.

"No, it's spring now." Houtarou said and a burst of cherry blossoms flew across the sky and covered them in pretty pink against the night sky.

_Little birds remembered and lived._

...

I rarely write authors notes at the end but I think I have to explain some things.

I used winter and spring as a metaphor for the gray and rose-colored life, wherein winter just spells out unhappiness (if winter's harsh) and spring gives life to what winter had probably killed off.

I used the tandem bike to symbolize that instead of being one and alone, Eru and Houtarou would go through life together, through all hardships, they would conquer.

I think those were my symbolisms, if I missed a few, let them be, I never check my work.

Speaking of never checking my work, this thing is not proofread! Okay?! If you see any mistakes (which you definitely would) that's all thanks to my stupid, lazy ass.

Okay see ya.


End file.
